The new enlightenment: The Calile’s cultural renaissance
It’s the coolest hotel in town and now it seems The Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley is also the artiest with its Calile Culture series and support of several local arts companies.
As well as being the coolest place in Brisbane, The Calile Hotel is becoming something of an arts hub. And arts companies are among those benefitting from its commitment to community through the pursuit of a charitable mission focused on investing in local organisations in need of support to affect greater societal change.
Further defining The Calile’s unique industry position, the initiative sees $5 from every night a guest stays donated directly to local charity, 365 days a year. Compounded by the added generosity of guests who have also contributed, this year’s efforts have resulted in more than $160,000 raised for registered charities. These include two local arts organisations – Australasian Dance Collective (ADC) and the Institute of Modern Art (IMA), both based nearby the swish hotel’s James Street, Fortitude Valley, location.
Hotel co-owner, Catherine Malouf says “it is important for us to remain connected to, and supportive of the charities and organisations that provide both essential services and also represent the very best of our community”.
Helping ADC create new works
Australasian Dance Collective, led by former dancer and choreographer Amy Hollingsworth, has a multi-armed and trans-generational approach to dance that includes an ensemble of six professional dancers; a youth ensemble for dancers aged 14-19; a mature ensemble; a pre-professional program; and a first collective residency with BlakDance to support established and emerging First Nations choreographers and dancers.
Over the past year, The Calile’s support has enabled ADC to engage artists and collaborators to create new works, including Halcyon and THREE, presented at Brisbane Powerhouse, and one of ADC’s most ambitious projects to date featuring drone technology, Lucie in the Sky, which premiered at QPAC and toured interstate.
The Institute of Modern Art is situated in the Judith Wright Arts Centre, along with ADC, just a stone’s throw from The Calile Hotel. The IMA is Australia’s oldest independent public art gallery and has been at the centre of Queensland and Asia-Pacific contemporary arts ecology for 48 years. With entry to its exhibits always free, the IMA brings community together, making art accessible to all. Through the charitable support of The Calile, IMA has continued to provide free access to a world-class curation of contemporary art and, importantly, support emerging local and international talent by connecting them with new audiences.
The Calile Culture series is another initiative that has engaged art lovers, with writers, artists and other creatives starring in compelling in-conversation events that have included author Trent Dalton and artist Lindy Lee. Recently, Jan Murphy Gallery, also nearby, hosted a dinner to celebrate acclaimed artist Ben Quilty’s 20 years of exhibiting in Brisbane.
Tony Albert’s work to illuminate the hotel’s facade
The Calile Culture series will kick off again in 2025 with artist Tony Albert presenting his powerful statement and artwork I am Visible in a one-off occasion, marking the 11th iteration of the series. This is part of the hotel’s ground-breaking partnership with the National Gallery of Australia. On January 31 the animated work will illuminate the façade of The Calile Hotel’s rooftop amphitheatre in a statement that draws attention to First Nations people and their representation in the national conversation.
“We are honoured to host Tony Albert in partnership with National Gallery of Australia and be afforded the opportunity to have his formidable work light up our amphitheatre,” Malouf says.
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All aspects of Albert’s multidisciplinary practice express a powerful response to the misrepresentation of Australia’s First Peoples in popular and collectible imagery. By placing the collective memory under scrutiny, and drawing on both personal and collective histories, Albert has developed a unique language that seeks to rewrite historical mistruths and injustice.
His vibrant large-scale projection I am Visible explores notions of how to make the invisible visible, with optimism in the face of adversity. Albert, who is based at Samford, has been announced as the artistic director of the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial. Albert also has a major work as part of the public art offering at Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.
Calile Culture invites the community to join Albert and the National Gallery of Australia director Dr Nick Mitzevich for an evening of canapés and intimate conversation beneath the projected work. The January event is free, but registration is required.